James Paxton enjoyed the Twins’ humorous bald eagle reference
"It's a fun little dig at me."
The Twins tried everything to get to James Paxton during the Red Sox’ win on Monday, even calling on the screech of an eagle to try to unsettle him.
Viewers watching on television may have noticed that the Twins PA system at Target Field played the sound of an eagle each time a Minnesota player reached base against Paxton. Exactly why they did that requires a little bit of history.
Paxton, 34, last started at Target Field on Opening Day in 2018. As a then-Mariners pitcher, he completed throwing in the outfield shortly before a pregame ceremony. As part of the Opening Day festivities during the playing of the national anthem, a bald eagle was supposed to swoop in.
In actuality, it chose to fly towards Paxton, eventually landing on his shoulder, creating some memorable baseball images in the process.
Showing remarkable poise, Paxton calmly stood as the bird flew around him. So when he heard the Twins playing some very intentional bird sounds on Monday, he appreciated it.
“I did notice,” Paxton explained afterward about the sound choices. “It’s a fun little dig at me.”
He also got the last laugh, pitching a quality start and ending up with the win.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com